RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures)
The E-mini Russell 2000 futures contract — tracks the Russell 2000 small-cap index with $50 per point and $5 per 0.10-tick. Higher volatility than ES, smaller liquidity than NQ.
What is RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures)?
RTY is the symbol for the E-mini Russell 2000 futures contract, traded on CME Globex. It tracks the Russell 2000 Index — the 2,000 smallest US public companies. The contract represents $50 multiplied by the index, so at 2,200 one RTY contract represents $110,000 of notional exposure.
RTY is the third-most active equity index futures contract at retail prop firms (after ES and NQ) but with significantly thinner liquidity. Daily volume is typically 50,000-100,000 contracts (vs ES’s 1.5M+). Despite this, RTY is essential for traders running rotation strategies — small-caps often lead large-caps on rate-cut cycles, sector rotations, and risk-on shifts.
One unique RTY characteristic: tick size is 0.10 index points ($5 per tick), unlike ES/NQ’s 0.25-point ticks. RTY moves in finer increments but each tick is worth less than ES ($5 vs $12.50).
How RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures) works
RTY contract specifications (May 2026):
- Symbol: RTY (sometimes RTY1! or @RTY)
- Exchange: CME Globex
- Underlying: Russell 2000 Index
- Multiplier: $50 per index point
- Tick size: 0.10 index points
- Tick value: $5 per tick
- Contract months: March, June, September, December (quarterly)
- Trading hours: Sun 6:00 PM ET-Fri 5:00 PM ET, 1-hour daily break
- Settlement: Cash settled
Margin: Day-trading $500 per contract at most prop firms. CME initial margin ~$8,000.
Volatility profile:
- Daily range typically 30-60 points = $1,500-$3,000 per contract
- More volatile than ES on percentage basis (small-caps inherent risk)
- Often LEADS S&P moves on rotation days
Liquidity considerations:
- Daily volume: 50,000-100,000 contracts during RTH
- Bid-ask: 1 tick ($5) during RTH, often 2-3 ticks overnight
- 5+ contract orders may experience slippage during fast moves
Worked example
Setup: Trader on Apex $100K account holds 1 RTY contract long from 2,205, stop at 2,200 (5 points = $250 risk), target at 2,215 (10 points = $500 reward). Risk/reward 1:2.
Outcome — target hit:
- Price reaches 2,215 after a strong small-cap session.
- Gross P&L: +10 points × $50 = +$500
- Commission ~$3.50 round-trip → Net ~$496.50
Common RTY rotation strategy: Watch the IWM/SPY ratio. When IWM/SPY breaks higher above 50-day MA on rate-cut hint, take long RTY. When ratio breaks lower on growth scare, take short RTY. Per-trade reward 5-10 RTY points ($250-$500) on 1-3 day holds. Edge from rotation signal, not from intraday RTY scalping.
RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures) vs related concepts
Side-by-side comparison of RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures) against the most commonly confused alternatives.
| Concept | Definition | Category |
|---|---|---|
| RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures) this term | The E-mini Russell 2000 futures contract — tracks the Russell 2000 small-cap index with $50 per point and $5 per 0.10-tick. Higher volatility than ES, smaller liquidity than NQ. | Specific Contracts |
| ES (E-mini S&P 500 Futures) | The E-mini S&P 500 futures contract — the most actively traded equity index future in the world, tracking the S&P 500 index with $50 per point and $12.50 per 0.25-tick. | Specific Contracts |
| NQ (E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures) | The E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract — the most volatile of the major equity index futures, tracking the Nasdaq-100 index with $20 per point and $5 per 0.25-tick. | Specific Contracts |
| YM (E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures) | The E-mini Dow Jones futures contract — tracks the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average with $5 per point and $5 per 1-tick. Lower-volatility cousin of ES. | Specific Contracts |
| Futures Contract | A standardized agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying asset at a predetermined price on a specified future date — the foundational instrument of futures markets. | Futures Mechanics |
| Point Value | The dollar value of a one-point price movement on a futures contract — equal to the contract multiplier; a key input to position sizing math. | Futures Mechanics |
| Margin | The capital deposit required to open and hold a futures position — set by the exchange (initial margin) and broker (day-trade margin), typically 5-15% of contract notional value. | Futures Mechanics |
How major prop firms handle RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures)
Every firm implements rty (e-mini russell 2000 futures) differently. Here's the firm-by-firm breakdown — DGT-trusted firms surface first, with implementation notes for each.
| Firm | How they handle it | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Apex Trader Funding DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on Apex Performance Accounts as the third major equity index after ES/NQ. Day margin $500. Suitable for $50K+ accounts due to RTY's thinner liquidity. | |
| Take Profit Trader DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on TPT PRO/PRO+ funded accounts. Useful for traders running ES + RTY rotation strategies. | |
| Tradeify DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on Tradeify Growth/Select/Lightning. Less popular than ES/NQ but available across all account types. | |
| Lucid Trading DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on Lucid instant funded. Algo-friendly setup supports RTY-based rotation strategies. | |
| FundedNext DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on FundedNext Stellar. UNCAPPED payouts beneficial for traders running 1-2 day rotation holds. | |
| Phidias Prop Firm DGT TRUSTED | RTY traded on Phidias funded accounts. Algo-friendly stance well-suited for systematic RTY rotation strategies. |
Why traders fail RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures)
Trading RTY for high-frequency scalping. RTY’s lower liquidity makes it poor for HFT — bid-ask spreads widen during fast moves and 1-tick fills become 2-3-tick fills. Use ES or NQ for scalping; RTY for slower rotation plays.
Holding RTY through news at full size. RTY can move 1-2% in 60 seconds on FOMC, jobs data, or major small-cap earnings. Position sizes that work on ES can blow accounts on RTY during identical news velocity.
Treating 0.10 tick size as 0.25 ES tick. RTY moves in finer increments — a 5-point ES move is 20 ticks; a 5-point RTY move is 50 ticks. Stop sizing in TICKS doesn’t translate one-to-one between contracts.
Confusing RTY with IWM ETF. RTY is the futures contract; IWM is the small-cap index ETF. Same underlying, different products with different liquidity, margin, and settlement. Prop firms trade RTY, not IWM.
Frequently asked questions about RTY (E-mini Russell 2000 Futures)
What is RTY futures?
RTY is the symbol for the E-mini Russell 2000 futures contract on CME Globex. Tracks the Russell 2000 Index (2,000 smallest US public companies) at $50 per index point with 0.10 tick size ($5 per tick). Third-most active equity index future after ES and NQ.
Is RTY more volatile than ES?
Yes. RTY moves 30-60 points intraday vs ES's 30-50, but at 1/2 the index level — so on percentage basis RTY is significantly more volatile. Small-cap stocks inherently move more than mid-cap S&P 500 on identical economic news.
What is the day-trading margin for RTY?
Day-trading margin for RTY is $500 per contract at most futures prop firms. CME initial margin for overnight holds is ~$8,000 per contract. RTY day margin typically equals ES day margin at major prop firms.
How does RTY tick differ from ES?
RTY tick is 0.10 index points ($5 per tick), different from ES/NQ's 0.25-point ticks. RTY moves in finer increments per tick. A 5-point RTY move is 50 ticks; a 5-point ES move is 20 ticks. Always think in dollar terms when sizing across contracts.